New global policy to raise international mailing fees

By Shelley Shan / Staff reporter

Tue, May 14, 2013 - Page 3

The registration charges and insurance fees for international mail services are scheduled to rise next month, Chunghwa Post said yesterday.

The state-run postal firm said that the increases are being implemented in response to a new policy on supplementary mailing fees issued by the Universal Postal Union (UPU), a UN agency that coordinates the postal policies of member nations.

The UPU’s new policy will see international mail registration charges increase from NT$45 to NT$65.

Current mail insurance fees stand at NT$24 for international mail that has an insured value of NT$6,000 or less.

Customers have to pay an additional NT$4 for NT$1,000 by which the item’s value exceeds the NT$6,000 mark. These additional charges apply even if the extra value is less than NT$1,000.

However, under the new policy, the premium is set to be NT$20 for each item of international mail with an insured value of NT$1,000 or less.

Senders would also be required to pay an additional NT$10 per NT$1,000 for international mail with an insured value exceeding NT$1,000.

The new policy also means that the maximum insured value for express mail services would be lowered from NT$100,000 to NT$50,000.

The new fee arrangements are set to take effect on June 1.

Chunghwa Post vice president Wu I-hua (吳倚華) said that all revenue from the increased fees would be paid to the postal systems of the countries to which the mail is being delivered.

“For example, the fees would remitted to the US if the items are addressed to there,” Wu said. “The fee increase will not generate any additional revenue for the company.”